Demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’: ENPO says no to any economic package

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Sep. 14: The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) iterated their demand for separate state, called ‘Frontier Nagaland’, in a public rally held at Tuensang town on Friday.

The offshoot of the ENPO public rally was the public referendum to reject any form of economic packages from both the centre and the state government other than a separate assembly, separate administration, separate High Court, and capital of its own.

The six federating tribal bodies: Konyak Union, Phom Peoples’ Council, United Sangtam Likhum Pumji, Yimchunger Tribal Council, Chang Khulei Setshang, and Khiamniungan Tribal Council along with respective village council associations, GB associations, frontal organisations, ENPO executives, advisors, talk team members, and thousands of public converged at the public ground in Tuensang town to reaffirm the demand for a separate state; and adopted the resolutions.

The president of ENPO, Kekongchim Yimchunger told Eastern Mirror that he had, in his keynote address, asserted the conviction to pursue the demand of ENPO and reaffirm its previous resolution made on December 6, 2010.

“ENPO citizens have become the citizens of India by circumstances and we are trying to be good citizens of India. We are not asking for the impossible but demanding our democratic rights”, asserted Yimchunger.

He maintained unless there was direct funding to ENPO area, development activities was not possible. The three resolutions adopted during the rally were: (verbatim)
1. Demand for separate state as adopted on the Aug. 24 2012 and its continued stand on the same- “Frontier Nagaland” where a memorandum for the same was submitted to the government of India through the then Union Home Minister, Dec. 6, 2016 vide ENPO letter No. ENPO/Memo-01(statehood) PM/Gol/01, dated Nov. 25, 2010.

2. The entire public under the aegis of ENPO shall continue to firmly reject any form of economic packages both by the centre and the state other than a separate assembly, separate administration, separate High Court, and capital of its own.

3. Out rightly reject the Gol, Ministry of Home Affairs letter vide F.N0.9/8/2012.7, dated Aug. 7, 2018 signed by the joint secretary (NE) MHA, GoI to the chief secretary, govt. of Nagaland suggesting for preparation of suitable district-wise project proposals for development of Eastern Nagaland area referring to a meeting chaired by special secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs, Gol with the govt. of Nagaland and ENPO on June 8, 2018.

The signatories of the adopted resolutions were the six tribal bodies and the Eastern Nagaland Dobhashi Union, Eastern Nagaland GBs Union, Eastern Nagaland Students Federation and Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation.

Interestingly, seemingly contradicting the demand of ENPO public rally to reject economic packages from the GoI, a three-member delegation of Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union represented by S Pangnyu Phom, Toshi Wungtung, Bongkhao Konyak were in New Delhi on September 13 to apprise the vice chairman of Niti Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar on the need for assistance and development in Eastern Nagaland.

The ENLU delegation having met the vice chairman Kumar apprised him of the condition of eastern districts and the desire for development. The delegation also reminded the commitments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tuensang earlier this year to ‘develop Eastern Nagaland by GOI with all seriousness’. To the appeal made by the ENLU delegation, Kumar had asked the delegation to submit detailed project reports while assuring them of all possible help.